Shotgun shell dispenser



Nov. 23, 1965 B. c. BLASK SHOTGUN SHELL DISPENSER Filed March 18, I1964mvENToR. BEA/Narr 6. BLASK BY Z7? JM /xw Z/Jm rrokfvsrs United StatesPatent O 3,219,244 SHGTGUN SHELL DISPENSER Bennett C. Blask, 13417Southridge Road, Minnetonka, Minn. Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,790Claims. (Cl. 224-15) The present invention has relation to a shotgunshell dispenser and more particularly to a dispenser which will hold anumber of shotgun shells and will mount onto the belt of a person usinga shotgun to hold the shells in position ready for loading into the gun.

Hunters, as Well as trap and skeet shooters, have long needed a shelldispenser which holds the shells readily accessible to aid in thereloading of guns when time is of the essence. The conventional shellbelts .and holders are diflicult to use and the shells are hard toremove therefrom.

The present invention relates to a dispenser which will clip onto thebelt, or over a pocket or on the top Waders worn by a hunter and whichwill hold six shells in a vertical stack for easy dispensing one at atime from the bottom thereof. The dispenser comprises a case for theshells having an outlet at the bottom with resilient means for holdingthe shells in place. The case is provided with notched or relievedcorners for receiving the rims of the shotgun shells so that the shellswill stack neatly and rest in a horizontal position. The shells in thedispenser will therefore easily slide downwardly. as the lower shellsare dispensed.

The corner relief on the case prevents the shells from binding in thedispenser so they will not move downwardly when desired. The dispenserincludes a cover which can be snapped into place to prevent shells frombeing bounced out the top of the dispenser. The dispenser also has aclear view window so that the number of shells left in the dispenser caneasily be checked.

The dispenser is compac-t, easily loaded, and can be used in manydifferent locations by the hunter.

It is an object of the present invention to present a compact, durable,lightweight and easily used dispenser for shotgun shells whi-ch can bemounted onto the clothing of a shooter or hunter.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a shotgun shell dispenser made accordingto the present invention and shown with a cover in an open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 2 showing thecover in a closed position and partially ybroken away to show theposition of shotgun shells when positioned in the dispenser;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken as on line 4 4 in FIG. 3 showing aninsert utilized to make the dispenser usable for different size shells;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken as on line 5 5 in FIG. 3,' and FIG. 6is an fragmentary enlarged sectional view `of the dispenser showing faninsert in place within the dispenser.

Referring to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, ashotgun shell dispenser 10 is comprised of a rectangular cross sectionreceptacle 11 having a pair of spaced apart opposite end walls 12, 12, arear wall 13 and a front wall 14. The rear wall 13 and the front wall 14eX- tend between the end walls and are joined thereto. The end wa'lls12, 12 each have a semi-circular lower end portion 15. A cover member 16is attached to the rear wall 13 at 17. The cover can be suitablyhingedly -attached or, if the device is made out of plastic, as shown, asmall notch 20 can be made at the top of the rear wall to permit thecover member to hinge on the section where the material is reduced inthickness. The cover member 16 has a front lip 21 extending at rightangles to the main portion of the cover member and which will snap overthe upper portions of the front wall 14 and frictionally engage thefront wall so that the cover member will stay in a closed position asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The rear wall 13 has a belt clip 23 integral with or otherwise iixedlyattached thereto. The clip 23 is resiliently mounted so that it willyield to permit the device to be clipped onto a belt, pocket, or overthe top of waders Worn by hunters. A rib 24 is provided at the lower endof the ybelt clip 23 and is positioned to engage the member to which itis clipped so that the dispenser will not be easily removed.

As shown, the lower portion of the rear wall 13 is bifurcated and formstwo edge portions or sections 25, 25. The sections 25, 25 are spacedapart and attached to the edge portion of the semi circular portion 15of end walls 12. The spaced apart sections form an open notch 26 betweenthe sections. The end sections 25 form a part cylindrical support. Theend sections 25 support the end portions of shotgun shells in thedispenser. The notch between edge portions 25 forms a hand access notchfor removal of shells.

The front wall 14 terminates as at 27, spaced above the outer edgesurfaces 30 of the edge sections 25 of the rear wall. The wall 14terminates above the sections 25 a distance sufficient to permit ashotgun shell to pass between the edge surfaces 30 and the terminationline 27 of the main portion of t-he front wall. This forms a dischargeopening 29.

In order to prevent the shotgun shells in the dispenser from falling outthrough the opening 29 just described, a pair of resilient retainer tabs31, 31 are attached to the front wall 14. As shown, the retainer tabsare molded as an integral unit with the front wall. The dispenser, asshown, is made from a suitable plastic material. However, if thedispenser was made from other material the resilient tabs 31 could beattached in any usual or preferred manner to the front wall 14. A windowopening 33 is provided in the front wall 14 so that a hunter canvisually check the number of shells in the dispenser Without opening thecover 16.

The rear Wall 13 and the front wall 14 are provided with notches 32adjacent each of the end walls 12, 12. The notches 32 are of .a size toreceive the normal rim 34 on a shotgun shell 35 (see FIG. 3). Thenotches will permit the shotgun shells to closely slidably t between thefront and rear walls respectively and still be free to slide downwardlyin the dispenser as the lower shells are dispensed. No binding occurswith the relieved corners.

The shotgun shells are inserted into the receptacle and alternated inposition so that the head end of one of the shells is adjacent a rst ofthe side walls 12 and the next shell above and below it is adjacent theother end wall 12. The shells also can be placed with all of the headends of the shell at one end of the dispenser, if desired. The notches32 permit the outer ends of the shells to rest on each other withoutbinding. To dispense a shell the hunter merely places his hand at thehand access notch 26 between the curved sections 25 of the rear wall 13and pulls laterally outwardly toward the front wall. The resilientretainer tabs 31 will yield to permit the shell to be removed and willimmediately snap back into place to prevent other shells from fallingout through the opening between the lower end 27 of the main portion ofthe wall and edge portions 30` of the sections 25 of the rear wall. Theshells in the dispenser will then move downwardly under force of gravityso that one will rest on the end portions 25 of the rear wall inposition ready to be dispensed.

It will be noted that the notches 32 in the rear wall extend all the waydown around the curved end portions 25 so that the cylindrical surfacesof a shell will rest on these curved portions.

The notches 32 in the walls will prevent a shell from turning endwise orin a vertical direction when the dispenser is not full. The rim of theshell is held so that the free end cannot pivot upward. The shells arealways held in a horizontal position. This prevents jamming of thedispenser when it is partially empty. The shells will be dispensedevenly and one at a time.

In order to accommodate shells of different size one or more inserts 40can be slipped into the dispenser. (See FIGS. 4 and 6.) The insert 40 isshaped to iit within the dispenser against the rear wall 13. It ineltect makes the rear wall 13 thicker and reduces the distance betweenthe front and rear walls. The dispenser can then be utilized fordispensing smaller shells. For example, without any inserts thedispenser will accommodate 12-gauge shells. With one insert 40 thedispenser will receive and hold 16- gauge shells. If two inserts of thesize illustrated are used, the dispenser will accommodate ZO-gaugeshells.

The inserts include spaced, lower semi-cylindrical portions 42 whichrest on andy correspond to the portions 25. Therefore the opening 29 fordischarging the shells is also reduced in size. The inserts include edgenotches 41` which receive the rim of the shells. The distance betweenthe inner surface of the insert 40 and the inner surface of front wall14 is greater than the diameter of the shell being dispensed and lessthan the diameter of the rim of the shell.

With no inserts, the front and rear walls of the dispenser are spacedapart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the shell forwhich the dispenser is designed and less than the diameter of the rim ofthe shotgun shell. The rims will then iit into the notches 32.

The dispenser can be loaded by the hunter and clipped onto' his belt orin any desired location and be immediately available for reloading hisgun. The shells are easily dispensed and the dispenser is light weight.The notches for the rims of the shotgun shells will permit even feedingof the shells as the lower ones are dispensed.

What is claimed is:

1. A shotgun shell dispenser comprising a receptacle having an open topand being made up of a pair of spaced apart end walls and iirst andsecond spaced apart parallel side walls joining said end walls, saidirst side wall having lower portions thereof curved in direction towardthe secondside wall to form a part cylindrical'bottom surface, said partcylindricalV bottom surface having a hand access notch in the centerportion thereof, said` second side wall being terminatedA a sutiicientdistance above the terminal edge of said part cylindrical surface topermit a shotgun shell to pass between the terminal edge-of said partcylindrical surface and the second side wall, and resilient meanscomprising two spaced apart tabs integral with and inthe plane of saidsecond side wall andextending downwardly toward the terimnal edge ofsaid part cylindrical surfaces to yieldingly retain a shotgun shellsupported on said part cylindrical bottom surface.

2. The combination as specified in claim 1 wherein the portions of saidside walls next adjacent said end walls are relieved to form notchesadjacent each end wall of size to receive the rim of standard shotgunshells which will closely t within the receptacle.

3. The combination as specilied in claim 2 wherein said side walls arespaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the shellwhich lits within said receptacle and less than the diameter of the rimportion of the shotgun shell. y

4. The combination as speciiied in claim 3 wherein the notches definedin said iirst side wall extend along said side wall throughout itsentire length, including the curved lower portions thereof.

5. A shotgun shell dispenser comprising a receptacle having a lpair ofspaced apart end walls having curved lower end portions and a pair ofspaced apart side walls joining said end walls, said side walls beingspaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the sizeshotgun shell'for which said receptacle is designed and less than thediameter of the rim portion of the said shotgun shell, a lir'st of saidside walls being bifurcated at a lower portion thereof and havingopposite edge portions formi'ng spaced apart cylindrical bottomsurfaces, said edge portions joining the curved lower end portions ofsaid end walls, said edge portions terminating short of a plane passingalong the inner surface of a second of said side walls, said second sidewall being terminated along a line above the terminus of said edgeportions a suicient distance to permit passage of a shotgun shell whichcan be received by said dispenser between the' edge portions and thebottom edge of said side wall, and resilient means comprising spacedapart depending tabs attached to said second side wall and extendingdownwardly a s'uiicient distance to resiliently engage` and retain ashotgun shell supported on said part cylindrical bottom surfaces formedby said edge portions, but yielding sufficiently to permit removal of ashell subjected to hand forces acting laterally toward the resilientmeans, each of said side walls and the portions thereof next adjacentthe end walls being relieved to form notches of size to closely receivethe rim of the size of standard shotgun shells for which the receptacleis designed, the rim being thus held in notches on opposite sides of theshell.

FOREIGN PATENTS 56,43() 10/1890 Germany. 29,724 12/1906 Great Britain.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner. HUGO O. S'CHULZ,fExaminer.

1. A SHOTGUN SHELL DISPENSER COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE HAVING AN OPEN TOPAND BEING MADE UP OF A PAIR OF SPACED APART END WALLS AND FIRST ANDSECOND SPACED APART PARALLEL SIDE WALLS JOINING SAID END WALLS, SAIDFIRST SIDE WALL HAVING LOWER PORTIONS THEREOF CURVED IN DIRECTION TOWARDTHE SECOND SIDE WALL TO FORM A PART CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM SURFACE, SAIDPART CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM SURFACE HAVING A HAND ACCESS NOTCH IN THE CENTERPORTION THEREOF, SAID SECOND SIDE WALL BEING TERMINATED A SUFFICIENTDISTANCE ABOVE THE TERMINAL EDGE OF SAID PART CYLINDRICAL SURFACE TOPERMIT A SHOTGUN SHELL TO PASS BETWEEN THE TERMINAL EDGE OF SAID PARTCYLINDRICAL SURFACE AND THE SECOND SIDE WALL, AND RESILIENT MEANSCOMPRISING TWO SPACED APART TABS INTEGRAL WITH AND IN THE PLANE OF SAIDSECOND SIDE WALL AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY TOWARD THE TERMINAL EDGE OFSAID PART CYLINDRICAL SURFACES TO YIELDINGLY RETAIN A SHOTGUN SHELLSUPPORTED ON SAID PART CYLINDRICAL BOTTOM SURFACE.